


Stars Hold No Power Over Us

by stardustsroses



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Elriel, F/M, Fluff, Nessian - Freeform, Night Court - Freeform, Post-ACOWAR, drunk Cassian, feysand
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-05-23 06:47:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14929256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stardustsroses/pseuds/stardustsroses
Summary: It’s Elain’s birthday, and even though she asked the Inner Circle not to make a fuss, a certain Shadowsinger decides to do something special for her. Includes a lot of fluff, a lot of kissing, and…a very drunk happy Cassian.





	Stars Hold No Power Over Us

The townhouse was covered in twinkling lights.

Endless vines of white, red and pink roses adorned the corners of each door and window, tangling along the balcony rail where they now stood, together, drinking in celebration, laughing, happy to be together and alive and safe.

Elain felt so happy.

She had asked Feyre – all of them – not to make a fuss about her birthday. Elain had insisted, even, that they go on about their day as normal, simply because after everything that they went through it felt…wrong to celebrate such a frivolous date.

She hadn’t wanted the attention. She hadn’t felt like she deserved it.

Her birthday seemed like a minor event in comparison to their victory in the war. And also, was it really necessary to celebrate your birthday when you’re immortal?

“Uh, yeah, it’s necessary!” Cassian said, sipping the last of his champagne and holding her sister by the waist. Nesta looked up at him, both amused and exasperated, as her mate pratically drawled – he had drunk quite a lot. 

“You, Elain, need to celebrate every birthday.” he continued. “ You need to keep count. We need to keep count. Or you’ll turn out like this male over here.” Cass pointed with his thumb behind him, where a very amused-looking Rhysand stood, arms crossed, looking between his brother and his mate. “Who keeps lying about his age.”

“How dare you,” said Rhys, rolling his eyes, a bright smiling painting his handsome features. “I would not lie.”

A very loud snort was heard – everybody turned their heads to Amren, looking beyond amused, leaning against the railing.

“You’re the oldest out of all of us!” Cassian accused. “You’re literally ancient.”

Amren raised one elegant eyebrow. Narrowed her eyes. “You’re either very drunk,” she smiled, showing off her sharp, perfect teeth, “or you have a death wish.”

“Both,” said Rhys.

Cass ignored them and gave Elain a very serious look. He said, in a loud whisper, like he was telling the whole world a secret, “He is so old, Elain. So freaking old.”

“Cass,” said Rhys, holding in his laughter. “We’re the same age.”

Cassian turned to his High Lord, blinking confusedly. Slowly, he looked toward Nesta and murmured, almost to himself, “Mother’s tits, I’m so old.”

Elain hid her smile behind her hand as Feyre and Rhys burst out laughing. Soon, Mor and and Lucien were joining in, then Amren was making no effort to hide her own smile, and Elain took one long second to admire the faces of her friends, the people who loved her, the people she had fought along side on that battlefield, the people who helped her slowly heal. And she thought this. She thought this I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world.

And then –

And then there was Azriel, next to Rhys, who was looking around, she realized, like she had been a few moments ago. His smile was thoughtful, almost distracted. There were centuries worth of memories flooding his mind, passing through his hazel eyes. The best of memories, and the worst. Elain could’ve read him like a book just then – all his private thoughts, displayed freely on his features, for her to see.

Their eyes met.

And their friends’ voices dissolved, faded slowly, slowly, until there was only silence, until there was only him staring at her and her staring at him and the whole universe in his eyes waiting to be explored by her.

Elain sucked in a breath she knew he would hear. She felt her cheeks burn and she knew he could see. He smiled at her then – wide and unrestrained and bright. And Elain – Elain had never seen anything as beautiful as him in her short twenty-three years.

He was exquisite.

Elain smiled gently, clasping her shaking hands together because she didn’t know what else to do with them, and forced herself to pay attention to what was being said, forced herself to look away from his gaze, forced herself to remain with her feet on the ground.

He made her feel as if she could float mid-air.

Elain’s eyes focused on her friends once more.

Mor patted Cassian on the back. “I’ve been telling you that for years – how old you are. You just never listened.”

“I never really hit me that I was that old. Cauldron be damned,” said Cassian, shaking his head. He looked at Nesta – Nesta whose cheeks were rosy and full; whose smile was happy and amused – and furrowed his eyebrows. “When I turned four hundred years old you weren’t even born yet.”

“You’ve only just realized how disturbing that is?”

“…yes.”

Laughs echoed throughout the house, throughout Velaris. They laughed and they drank and they chatted some more, the sun going from its highest position to colouring the sky in glowing oranges and reds and soft yellows.

“Thank you all,” said Elain. “Truly. You’ve made me very happy. I’m…so very grateful. For all of you.”

Elain felt Nesta’s arms around her first. Then Feyre’s. And then Cassian was joining in on the hug, his big arms wrapping around the three of them, squeezing them against his chest.

“I’ve got a lot of love for all of you,” he said.

“Cass,” said Feyre, blinking up at him. “A-Are…are you crying?”

“No,” he sniffed.

“Alright, okay,” Nesta said, pulling him away and grabbing his empty glass. “Get yourself together, Cassian.”

“I just…” whimpered Cass. “I just love you all. So, so much.”

“Oh, for the love of-” Nesta rolled her eyes, dragging a tear-stained Cass up the stairs.

“We love you too, brother,” said Rhys quietly, the widest smile on his face.

“Well,” Mor said, clapping her hands together. “We should probably be going, right?”

She looked around, giving everyone a smile filled with secrets and things Elain didn’t know.

“Oh, yes,” said Feyre with a little jump and the same smile on her face. She squeezed Elain’s hand. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

Elain blinked as Feyre kissed her cheek.

“What is…” she attempted to ask. But then Feyre was giving her a look that just confused her further.

Elain didn’t dare to ask.

“Happy birthday, sweetheart,” said Mor, enveloping in her arms. Elain smiled, gently squeezing her friend, thanking her once more.

One by one she hugged her friends, thanked them, wished them a good night, attempting to ignore Mor and Feyre’s secretive winks, and then-

“Elain.”

Elain turned. Her smile grew. Behind her, Feyre and Rhys were taking flight, Amren and Mor were getting inside the Townhouse – and Lucien was standing in front of her.

“Lucien,” she said. “Thank you – again – for coming. It meant a lot to me.”

Lucien nodded, his smile as gentle as his words, “Of course. I wanted to personally wish you a happy birthday. I’m leaving at dawn for the Spring Court.”

“Oh?” Said Elain. “Will you be gone long?”

“Not too long,” said Lucien, giving her a smile. “I’m afraid I’ve grown quite accustomed to the Night Court.”

“That’s good,” she said. “We will miss you until then.”

Lucien smiled right back, lowered his head curtly, and gently took her hand, placing one quick kiss on her skin.

Elain watched him disappear behind the double doors, her heart full of gratitude and happiness. But there was still something – someone – missing. Elain turned again.

She found him resting his elbow against the railing, his eyes pointed at the horizon. It was incredible, thought Elain, how every angle of his face was utterly perfect. His side profile revealed a sharp jaw covered by a bit of a stubble that had felt so soft to touch, a chin so perfectly sculpted, his lips-

Elain’s feet had a mind of their own and they were dragging her to him. She felt her breath catch as his eyes turned to her and a smile appeared on his lips. No shadows insight, she noted. No darkness.

His wings were folded behind him, so long they almost touched the floor, so dark they resembled a blot of spilled ink. So inviting Elain wanted nothing more than to have them wrapped around her body again.

She didn’t hesitate.

She drew closer to him, gently nudging his arm. And the smile he gave her broke her into pieces and put her back together in the same second. It was a smile so tender, so sweet, so full of light, that Elain found it hard to breathe. And then his arm was wrapped around her, pulling her close to his body, his lips touching her forehead, smiling against her skin, and Elain thought finally finally finally.

“Happy birthday,” he whispered.

His voice against her ear.

His hand pushing her against his chest.

His fingertips dragging along her back, up and down, so slowly, so gently, caressing her over her dress.

Gods.

“Thank you,” she whispered back.

They watched each other for a second, or for an hour, Elain couldn’t tell, and then Azriel was leaning down and placing his forehead against hers. His nose grazed hers, as if playfully, and Elain giggled.

Kiss me. She begged in her mind. Please kiss me, I’ve been dying to taste you since-

“Mor and Feyre can’t keep a damn secret,” he murmured, pulling away to look at her. He was smiling. He was so beautiful.

“Hum?” Asked Elain, slightly dazed.

“I’m taking you somewhere tonight,” he revealed, touching her cheek. Then he shook his head, stammering slightly. “I mean…if you want. Would you…like that?”

Elain was already nodding before he had a chance to finish the phrase. She asked, “Where are we going?”

Azriel smiled. Leaned down. Kissed the tip of her nose.

“It’s a surprise,” he said.

Azriel spread his wings wide. Elain smiled, not containing her excitement. Her eyes trailed along his wings, admiring their complexity, admiring every sharp contour, every line.

“You make my heart pound,” Azriel said, in no more than a whisper. Elain looked at him only to realize his eyes had been intent on her, as hers had been intend on him. “You make my heart pound,” he repeated, “every time you look at me like that.”

There were bees in her stomach and cotton candy in her tongue and a balloon filled with happiness swelling up inside her chest.

“You’re beautiful,” she simply said, simply because she was at a loss for words.

Azriel leaned down, almost, almost touching her lips, and then he had one arm around her knees and the other on her back and he was lifting her up, off the ground, making her float.

Elain could feel his breath touching her lips. Could feel his eyes following the contour of her mouth. She wanted to lean in and-

And then they were flying. 

Elain was quick to wrap her arms around his neck, her eyes wide open, her skirts fluttering in the wind. His body was warm against her, shielding her from the cold. She could feel the muscles in his chest clenching against her, the hard contours of his torso pressing against her sides.

She loved the flying.

She loved breathing in the cold air, loved looking down at the little houses – it felt like being on top of the world.

They didn’t fly for very long. After a while they were passing through Velaris, and then they were soaring through endless camps of green.

“Close your eyes,” he said in her ear.

Elain shivered, and parted her lips at feeling his hot breath on her ear. She smiled at him, bit her lip, and closed her eyes.

She felt his eyes on her face.

She felt the need to open her eyes, to see what was flashing across his-

And then Elain felt his lips on hers.

She was falling – hard, and floating, slowly drifting through soft clouds at the same time. His mouth was so warm, so soft, so tender. Just a whisper of a kiss, just a tender touch of his lips, and Elain was falling apart in his arms.

Her mind was clouded, completely dazed, but part of her felt the need to tell him that that was dangerous, that he should keep his eyes open, but then – then she felt them drift down, down down. The air became warmer, the wind died down.

Azriel pulled his lips away as his feet touched the ground. He murmured, “Keep them closed.”

She kept her eyes shut, licking her lips. She could feel him everywhere, smell him anywhere-

And flowers.

She breathed in.

It smelt like fresh grass after it rained. It smelt like sunshine at the end of the day. Far, far away, she could hear a stream, water dripping against rocks, birds rustling their nests, flapping their wings and flying away, away. She felt the warmth of the spring sun, gently kissing her cheeks, the tip of her nose, her lips. She felt grass brushing her ankles, tickling her skin.

And then Azriel’s mouth against her ear. “Open your eyes, Elain.”

She did.

Her breath caught in her throat.

She was standing in a clearing, surrounded by all the colours in the world. Blue, and purple, and red, and pink, and orange, and yellow, and-

Trees as tall as giants surrounded the clearing. The weak rays of the setting sun persistently glided through them, spreading a soft warm glow through the entire space.

Flowers she’d never seen, their colours so bright an unusual that it struck her, made her stare open-mouthed, wide-eyed.

It was a dusk-enveloped paradise.

Her hands were in front of her mouth and her eyes were wondering back and forth between the sight in front of her and the man standing at her side.

“It’s…wow,” she murmured. “I’ve never…I couldn’t have imagined this existed.”

“Do you like it?”

“It’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever been.”

Azriel gave her a smile that melted her bones and shattered her heart.

Elain took off her shoes. Pulled her hair free. Closed her eyes and breathed in the air. She let herself walk around, let her feet feel the earth beneath them. It was a heaven she didn’t know existed.

She turned to him. Found Azriel staring at her with a different look in his eyes.

“What?” She asked, smiling.

Azriel blinked, as if waking up from a dream. “I…I’ve never seen you this happy.”

She beamed then. “I am happy. Very much so.” Then she approached him, slowly, tentatively, raised herself on her toes. “Thank you.” And touched her lips to his.

Azriel dipped his head, wings spreading on their own accord, and wrapped his arms around her waist. Elain’s arms wrapped themselves around his broad shoulders, pulling him closer to her.

It was an unforgettable kiss.

It sent stars exploding in her eyes. It sent her world spinning, spinning, and spinning. It sent fireworks igniting in her spine.

All too soon, she pulled away.

“Sit with me.” Was all she said.

They did. They sat among the flowers, on top of the soft grass, so close, arm to arm, hand in hand. Elain traced the lines of his face with her eyes, memorizing the lighter tones in his dark hair, highlighted by the warm rays of sunlight, the specks of green in his hazel eyes, the soft curve of his lips, twisting into a smile.

Neither of them said anything for a while. Gentle touches, soft kisses on cheeks, and sweet, caring smiles were being shared as the sun kept diving down, down, down.

Azriel picked a flower – matching the colour of Elain’s lips – and gently pushed her hair back, behind her ear, letting the back of his hand caress her soft cheek, and tangled the delicate flower in her curls.

“You’re mesmerizing,” he murmured.

Elain touched his hand, leaning against his touch. Her head turned slightly, and her lips made contact with the soft, scarred skin of his palm, where she placed a tender, lingering kiss.

“Azriel,” she said, eyes closed, against his skin. “Who is responsible for these scars?”

She got no response.

When Elain opened her eyes, shadows were covering their bodies, swirling around his shoulders. She took a breath as Azriel’s touch left her, as he let his hand fall on his lap, as his shoulders tensed.

There was a crease in between his eyebrows and she wanted to kiss it away.

“Those were…from a long time ago,” he whispered. He wasn’t looking at her, but looking down at his palms, clenching and unclenching his hands. A story for another time, then.

“Azriel,” she whispered.

A muscle in his jaw quivered. He looked away.

“Do you find them…repulsive?” His voice was lower than a whisper. There was hurt and embarrassment and trauma hidden between those words. Elain could hear it, could see it in the shadows that embraced them. Embraced him.

Repulsive.

Ludicrous.

Elain moved carefully, slowly, letting him predict her movements before she made them, but there was no hesitance to her actions. There was no hesitance as she moved to sit on his lap, as she took his face with both her hands, as she encouraged his eyes to lift, to meet hers.

She found her fingers trembling slightly as she adjusted herself, placing her legs on either side of him. Azriel stopped breathing.

She forgot how to breathe herself.

They had never been this close to each other. She hadn’t dared. Whenever they were alone – which was rare – Azriel never pushed her limits, never made any extreme advances toward her. He kissed her knuckles and wrapped her in his arms and left little kisses on her neck, little soft bites on the tips of her ears-

But feeling him this close to her – it was a whole different thing. The air felt electrified. Her body was hot and cold, her cheeks burned under his gaze, her eyes fluttered as his hands touched her back.

“I find,” she murmured, meeting his gaze, and gently caressing his cheeks with her thumb – so perfect. He was so perfect. How could he not see it?

Her words got lost.

Elain met his eyes for a second, then slowly, slowly, leaned down. Touched her lips to both corners of his mouth, her kisses deliberate, purposefully tender and loving. Kissed his cupid’s bow, his chin, his cheekbones. Kissed the space between his eyebrows, easing that crease, that tension. As she did, she felt the tip of his nose graze her neck, right over her pulse, and her heart was a drum in her chest.

“I find,” she repeated, her lips so close to his, “that every inch of you is absolutely perfect.”

She kissed his bottom lip, kissed his upper lip, made sure she was looking into his hazel eyes as she murmured, “You’re beautiful. So beautiful.”

And then she reached over for his hands, took them both. Placed them in either side of her face. Kissed each palm. When she opened her eyes, the shadows were recoiling, disappearing into thin air, taking away with them centuries of bloodshed and years of abandonment and days of solitude.

And Azriel was looking at her like – like she was exactly that. Beautiful. He was looking at her…

Like he loved her.

She’d never seen a pair of eyes convey such an emotion, she realized. Those were the eyes of a man who had seen terrible, terrible things. Who had gone through hell and came back howling at the moon. Those were the eyes of a man with a heart as pure as nature around them. And it hit her, like a slap in the face, like a punch in the stomach, that this was it, that that…that right there was the most beautiful thing of all – what they had, what they had created. Elain realized, simply by looking into those eyes, that she saw her whole world, her entire future.

And she knew – she knew she had never truly known love. Not that kind. Not the kind that could be described into words. That…what was flowing through her veins at that moment was indescribable.

She had never known a love like that.

And Elain wanted to hold on to it with both hands, for dear life, for all that she had – and gods damn her, but she wouldn’t let it go. She wouldn’t let him go.

“Elain.” He whispered her name, just her name.

“Lay down,” she almost purred, one hand gently pushing his chest down.

Azriel’s eyes were fixed on hers, unblinking. Then a smile – that smile – and he let her lay him down onto the flowers.

A million stars twinkled in an endless dark canvas. There was the moon – shining as bright as his eyes, illuminating them. It was at these moments, Elain thought, that she desperately wished she had Feyre’s talent – because she wanted to paint the masterpiece that was Azriel. She wanted to memorize every part of his body and recreate it, then show it to him – so he could see himself from her point of view.

Elain smiled, her cheeks burning, and steadied her breathing.

Her hands touched his tunic. One, two, three, four buttons came undone, revealing his tanned chest to her. Her fingertips made patterns across his skin, marvelling at the hard panes of his chest, the broadness of his shoulders.

A warrior’s body through and through.

Then, surprising even herself, Elain leaned down, dragging her lips where her fingers had been. She heard him inhale, looked up to see his eyes closed, his lips slightly parted.

Elain kissed each one of his scars, made sure to gently touch them, trace them, commit them to memory. She kissed him until Azriel’s breathing became almost erratic, until he was touching her hips and pushing her body up and up, and she gasped at the feel of his body against hers so intimately.

He claimed her lips, opening her mouth to him, and dragged his hands up and down her sides, stroking and gripping her hips. Azriel murmured her name against her lips over and over, spilled secrets and loving words onto her cheeks, traced his tongue along that spot just beneath her ear that had her writhing on top of him.

Azriel rolled, pushing her down carefully onto the grass, her lips never leaving his, and gasped when he felt her thighs opening up to him, giving him the space to step in between them, then clenching tight around his hips.

“Elain,” he murmured again.

She reached for his lips again, but Azriel pulled his face away.

Something inside her chest split open.

Elain searched his face, his eyes. Whispered, “Azriel?”

He swallowed, and Elain didn’t understand – she didn’t understand why his body was so tense once more, why his eyes seemed to be troubled, why – why he looked…afraid.

“Talk to me,” she said to him. “Azriel.”

There was conflict in him – she could sense it. His body made no move, he made no move to pull away from her, to pull her legs away from him. But – his mouth curved, his jaw clenched. Like he was restraining himself.

From her.

“Azriel,” Elain said, his name on her lips a soft caress. “You can touch me. I-I want you to.”

His eyes turned to her, his lips parted. A rainbow of emotions passed through his face.

“Please,” Elain begged. And she didn’t know exactly what she was begging for – for his touch or his words, an explanation, a confession, anything. “What is it?”

And when he spoke, his voice was so broken is shattered her whole heart. “I’m not meant for you.”

She stared and stared and stared.

Her mind slowly putting the pieces together.

“What?” she whispered in disbelief.

“Elain,” he shook his head. “I’m not…you’re not mine, Elain.”

She blinked. Touched his chin. Made sure he was looking at her when she firmly said, “I don’t care about some mating bond. I don’t care, and you know it. I made it explicitly clear when we-”

“I know,” he mumbled, closing his eyes and resting his forehead on hers. “I know, I know. And, hell, I tried so hard to ignore it, but I-”

She was boiling now.

“Look at me.”

Her voice was not entirely hers. Hearing herself, Elain couldn’t believe that it was her own self speaking.

Azriel widened his eyes slightly, searching her eyes.

“What Lucien and I have is a friendship,” she enunciated every single world, “and nothing more than a friendship, and that’s the way that it will always be. I have no romantic feelings for him. He has no romantic feelings for me.”

“But today-”

“He is in love with Vassa, Azriel.”

Azriel blinked, mouth opening and closing.

“Haven’t you noticed how much time they spent together after Feyre was able to break Vassa’s curse? Haven’t you notice that there’s not one part of me that wants Lucien that way? And most importantly, haven’t you noticed how much I want you?”

Azriel simply stared at her, unable to hide his shock, unable to hide his stupid stupid grin, unable to stop staring because – because Elain. She wanted him.

And she was red with anger.

He could actually feel her skin burning.

“I never thought-”

“Clearly.”

“Mating bonds…they’re usually…well, they’re written in the stars.”

Elain sighed, threw her head back, and stared at the sky. His body weight on her was doing things to her – and she wanted to scream at his face, at his idiocy, and found that she couldn’t.

“The stars,” she mused. “The stars will not decide my future. I’ve seen it. And the stars certainly aren’t responsible for it.”

They stared at each other.

“I want you,” she said. There was nothing but steel determination shining in her eyes. “I want nobody else but you.”

Elain’s eyes trailed down his chest, following the path of thin dark hair to the waistband of his trousers. Looked up at him. Found Azriel devouring her lips with his eyes.

“You want me,” he rasped out.

“Yes,” she said, her lips parting on her own. “I’m yours, Azriel.”

“You’re mine.”

And the voice that rang in her ears – she wasn’t entirely sure if it was all his as well – raw and untamed. It was a claiming as much as it was a promise.

Elain dared to trace his bottom lip with her thumb. Gasped when his teeth closed around it, gently.

His eyes.

His eyes were a forest fire.

And she whispered the words into his ear, low and soft, as she lifted her hips, desperate to feel him against her once more, “Only yours.”

They were his undoing.

He had kept himself on a tight leash, Elain realized as his lips came crashing onto hers. Azriel had kept his flames carefully guarded, never letting a single ember touch her.

Now he was setting every part of her skin on fire.

His tongue was memorizing her taste, taking everything that she gave him, asking for more and more and more. His hands were gripping her thighs, he was digging his fingers on her skin, pushing her skirts up, up, to her waist, and Elain found herself smiling, giggling even, as he kissed her.

Azriel pulled his lips away just slightly, a smile of his own dancing on his lips. His hands on her relaxed, and then he was running one hand down her bare thigh, under her knee, pulling it up, around his waist.

And his lips were on her neck.

Sucking, biting, licking – sending Elain’s head spinning, scattering her mind and-

She let out the most delicious sound he had ever heard.

His body visibly trembled over her. Azriel’s momentary distraction gave her an opportunity to trace his jawline with her lips, then with her tongue – and the taste of his skin was stuck to her brain, the scent of him clouding her vision, driving her certifiably insane.

She had no idea where they were headed. All she knew is that she wanted to find out. She wanted him. All of him.

“Azriel,” she pleaded.

She truly was a sight to behold.

Curls spread over the grass, tangling in flower petals, cheeks and lips red as roses, eyes alight with lust and-

Love.

“You’re absolutely breath taking,” he said into the skin of her cheek.

She shook her head, closed her eyes, breathing hard.

“Yes,” he whispered, giving her face a million kisses, her lips a million more. “Yes, yes you are.”

She opened her eyes. Pecked his lips. Once, twice. Then on the third time, she whispered, “Azriel. I love you.”

His heart was a million pieces of glass and she was picking them up, one by one, off the floor.

“I choose you,” she said. “The stars hold no power over us. I choose you, I want you, I love you.”

And his world tipped backward. Every piece of him, restored. Every shard of glass carefully glued into place. His heart, complete.

He smiled – so bright, so beautiful – she thought she might die just looking at him.

His hand was under her dress.

His hand was tracing her side, caressing her bare skin, his fingers twisting themselves on the elastic band of her underwear-

His eyes were two islands and Elain was forever their castaway.

Azriel’s smile was so different, so, so different from the ones she was used to seeing. Not belonging to the quiet man who stood in the shadows but – belonging to a man, so happy he looked out of his mind with joy. And just thinking that she was the reason behind that smile…

“I love you,” he whispered. He whispered those words onto her neck, repeated them once again, then a second time, and a third, into her ear, her cheek, her lips. He covered her skin with kisses, loving and tender and so-

She would catch fire and burn for the rest of eternity.

“It’s you,” she smiled, nudging her nose against his lovingly. “It has always been you.”

His hand was on the inside of her thigh, drawing lazy circles. His eyes, always on her, looking for any signs, any reasons to pull away, to stop his touches – but he was met with only an encouraging smile and shining eyes asking him – begging him – to continue.

“You,” he whispered. “You are the sun and the moon and all the stars combined.”

Her heart was a well and he had a million buckets of hope and love that he poured into her.

“Then you,” she continued, touching his chest, moving her hand down, down. He gasped. “You,” she said again, smiling, delighted, “you are my gravity.”

Azriel bit his lip. Leaned down and took her lips once more. Against them, he said, “You are your own gravity, Elain Archeron. You are so strong, my love-”

Her whole world disintegrated at the feel of his touch.

“I love you,” he said.

And Elain took those words and wrapped them in velvet, carefully guarding them safely in her heart, in her mind, for the days to come. And Azriel – Azriel kept repeating them throughout that night. He repeated them as he peeled off her clothes, as he took his time memorizing her body. He repeated them softly onto the skin of her stomach, onto the inside of her thighs, over and over. Those words – they were a vow to her, a vow to the stars, who had made the mistake of not writing their names next to each other. Who had failed – failed miserably.

Because as they lay next to each other that night, as they left their handprints on each other’s bodies, as they soared the skies back, and as they fell asleep, holding each other tight until the morning light, they let the stars know:

There was no greater bond.


End file.
